This looks like a big show on paper and it is. After a state of the art Bucket, they do a chunky Bertha that’s so representative of how they were approaching older songs that spring: with a deliberate slowing and focus on the rhythms that propelled them. It also seemed like maybe Jerry had listened to some older recordings; he adds a “back to me” in Bertha just like on the record. The Far From Me revival was a welcome one; one difference post-coma was, sad as it sounds, the end of the long audition Brent had with the audience. He got more and genuine cheers in the late 80’s and this Far From Me is a good example of his strength as a singer and performer in this period. It also benefits from Jerry’s close attention to the song which may rank as the best version. Another swinging Push deserves its place as the late set Jerry song into a rocking Let it Grow that’s a good 2-3 minutes shorter than ’86 counterparts.

Half Step rocks hard into Playin’ where they breathe just a little in a show that looks superficially like that stacked Fox Theater show from the spring of 77. The real highlight is another repeat from that classic show, The Wheel. No post-space throwaway here, they jam on the Wheel theme for a good long time before getting to the lyrics. Wow. It’s a great Wheel in its own right. The rest-GDTRFB>Playin’ reprise is a celebration with a particularly solid Black Muddy River in what we all thought might be its permanent home: the ballad slot. The Sugar Magnolia continues the early 70’s vibe as Bobby goes for and reaches the high note in “saw my baby down by the river” and Jerry responds with particularly twangy riffs.